Movable arm rest



[limited Mates Patent Ruben J. Krein Highway 69 8., Forest City, Iowa50436 [2]] Appl. No. 762,203

[22] Filed Sept. 16, 1968 [45] Patented Dec. 29, 1970 [72] Inventor [54]MOVABLE ARM REST 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

52 u.s.c1 297/417, 297/414, 297/403 511 mac] A47c7/54, B60nl/06 soFieldofSearch 297/403,

408, 416, 417, 418; l6/hinges considered [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 361,528 4/1887 Kazanjian 297/408X 3,368,842 2/1968 Polsky297/417 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney- Burd, Braddock &Bartz PATENIFD mass m SHEET 2 OF 2 REUBEN J. KREIN BY BM/Mac AT TORNEYSMOVABLE ARM REST SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention relates broadly toan armrest for a seat having a back. The armrest is connected to thechair with an articulated linkage operable to lock the armrest in aforward position and permit the armrest to be pivoted up and foldedbehind the back side of the seat. The articulated linkage has stopswhich limit the positions of the arm and eliminate the necessity ofusing the fabric of the seat as a support or stop. The articulatedlinkage has three pivotally related members with releasable locksbetween associated members to firmly hold the arm in the forwardposition.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a seat equippedwith a movable armrest of the invention in the forward position;

FIG. 2 is a back elevational view of a seat taken along line 2-2 of FIG.1 with the armrest in the transverse storage position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the armrest in the raisedposition;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the articulated connectorcoupling the armrest to the seat.

Referring to the drawings there is shown in FIG. 1 a seat indicatedgenerally at 10 having an upright back 11 and a forwardly directedbottom 12. The entire seat is mounted on a support 13. The seat may be aconventional bucket seat used in an automobile, motor home and likevehicles. Movably mounted on the side of back 11 is an armrest indicatedgenerally at 14. An articulated connector or linkage indicated generallyat 16 mounts the rear end of armrest 14 to the side of back 11. Thearticulated connector 16 is the sole support for the armrest l4 and isoperable to lock the armrest in the forward position shown in full linesin FIG. 1. To store the armrest behind the back 11 an armrest 14 isinitially raised to an upright position as shown in broken lines inFIGS. 1 and 2, and then folded or pivoted behind the back shown in fulllines in FIG. 2. In both the forward position and the folded positionthe articulated connector 16 serves as the sole support and a stopmember to limit the pivotal movement of the armrest.

The armrest 14 has an elongated support 17 carrying a cushion or padding18. A cover of flexible material 19, as fabric, leather or canvas,surrounds both the cushion and support. The length of armrest 14 isslightly shorter than the horizontal extent of the bottom 12.

The articulated connector 16 comprises three pivotally interconnectedmembers used to solely support and hold the armrest 14 in the forwardlock position and in the folded storage position as shown in FIGS. 3 to7, connector 16 has a first plate member 21 which functions as a baseplate to connect the connector to the back 11. Projected laterally fromopposite end portions of member 21 are tapered bosses 22 and 23. Holes24 and 26 extend through the plate and bosses accommodate fasteningmeans 34 and 36 used to attach the plate to the back. Member 21 has acentral hole 27 located adjacent a lateral stop or projection 28. Asshown in FIG. 5, seat 10 has an upright tubular frame covered with afabric or other covering 31. The frame has a pair of holes 32 and 33 foraccommodating the bosses 22 and 23 to relieve the shearing forces on thefastening means. The inside of plate 21 lies against the covering 31.The fastening means shown as bolts 34 and 36 extend through the holes 24and 26 and are threaded into nuts 34a and 36a respectively to firmlyconnect the plate to the frame 29 ofthe back.

Positioned adjacent the midsection of plate 21 is a second right anglemember 37 having angularly disposed flanges 38 and 39. As shown in FIG.6, flange 38 has a centrally located hole 41 located in the corner ofaquadrant recess 42. One side of the quadrant recess 42 has a forwardlydirected radial groove 43 located adjacent a first shoulder 44 of therecess 42. Normally disposed from the first shoulder 44 is a secondshoulder 46 which cooperates with the stop 38 to limit the upwardpivotal movement of the second member 37. The second flange 39 has acentral hole 47 normally disposed with respect to the hole 41. Hole 47is located in the corner of a quadrant recess 48. One side of the recess48 has a radially directed rearward groove 49 located adjacent a firstshoulder 51. A second shoulder 52 is normally disposed with respect tothe shoulder 51.

Returning to FIG. 5, pivot member 53, as a pin, rivet, bolt or the like,pivotally joins the second member 37 to the first member 21. Member 53projects through a sleeve bearing 54 positioned in the holes 27 and 41ofthe members 21 and 37. A flat bearing washer 56 is interposed betweenthe flange 38 and the plate 21 to minimize the binding and frictionbetween these members. One end of the pivot member 53 is located in arecess in the back side of plate 21 so as'not to interfere with thefabric 31. The other end of member 53 is enlarged and bears against anannular compression spring 57 which functions to bias or yieldably urgethe flange 37 toward the plate 21. The spring 57 functions as a biasingmember to hold the stop projection 28 in the radial groove 43 therebyreleasably locking second member with respect to the first member 21..

Returning to FIG. 7, the connector 16 has a third plate member indicatedgenerally at 58 for connecting the armrest 14 to the second member 37.Plate member 58 has a pair of holes 59 and 61 to accommodate fasteners62 and 63, as screws or bolts, securing the plate member 58 to the rearend of the base support 17 of armrest 14. The center portion of theplate member 58 has a countersunk hole 64 for a pivot member 66, as apin, rivet or the like. Pivot member 66 movably connects the platemember 58 with the flange 39 of the second member 37. As shown in FIG.5, a sleeve bearing 67 is interposed in the hole 47 and 64 to providefor free pivotal movement of the member 58 relative to the second member37. An annular compression spring 68 located between the head of pivotmember 66 and the flange 39 yieldably holds the third member 58 inengagement for the top flange 39. Located adjacent the hole 64 is adownwardly directed projection or stop 69. Spring 68 yieldably holds thebottom of the projection in engagement with the bottom of the recess 48.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the arm 14 is in the forward position, theprojection 69 is located in the radial groove 49 thereby releasablylocking the arm in the forward position eliminating free lateralmovement of the armrest. With the stop 69 in recess 49 the side of thestop engages the shoulder 51 to prevent outward movement of the armrest.Stop 28 is located in groove 43 to eliminate free upward movement of thearmrest. Shoulder 44 acting on stop 28 prevents downward movement of thearmrest.

In use with the arm rest in the forward position as shown in full linesin FIG. 1 the second member 37 is locked to the first member 21 and thethird member 58 is locked with the second member 37. The second member37 is pivotally mounted by pivot means 53 to the first member 21 formovement about a horizontal laterally directed axis. The projection 21is located in the recess 43 and shoulder 44 engages the top of theprojection. The annular compression spring 57 yieldably holds the member37 in the lock position relative to the projection 28. The third member58 is locked relative to the second member 37. Projection 69 is locatedin the recess 49 and held there by the biasing action of the annularcompression spring 68.

To place the armrest l4 behind the seat back 11, the armrest 14 isinitially pivoted in an upward direction as indicated by the arrow 71 inFIG. 1 to the broken line position. The armrest pivots about the axis ofthe pivot member 53 until the projection 28 engages the shoulder 46 asshown in FIG. 4.

Returning to FIG. 2 the armrest M is then moved from the uprightposition shown in broken lines to the folded back position shown in fulllines. The armrest l4! pivots about the pivot axis of the pivot member66 and is held in the horizontal back position by the projection 69 inengagement with the shoulder 52.

ln both the forward position shown in FIG. 1 and the folded positionshown in FIG. 2 of the armrest 14 all of the supports and stops for thearmrest 14 are in the articulated connector 16. The armrest 14 does notbear or stop on the fabric of the seat. All of the weight and force onthe armrest is transferred directly to the frame of the chair by thefirst plate member 2l.

lclaim:

1. An armrest for a seat having a back and a frame comprising: anelongated arm, an articulated connector mounting the arm on the frame,said connector comprising a first member secured to the frame, a secondmember having a first side and a second side located generally normal tothe first side, first pivot means pivotally connecting the first memberon the first side of the second member for movement of the second memberabout a first generally horizontal axis, a third member, second pivotmeans pivotally connecting the second side of the second member on thethird member for movement about an axis generally normal to said firstaxis, means attaching the arm to the third member, whereby the arm isselectively and solely supported in a first position extended forwardlyfrom the back and in a second position behind the back.

2. The armrest of claim 1 including a releasable lock associated withthe connector to hold the arm in said first position extended forwardlyfrom the back.

3. An armrest for a seat having a back with a frame comprising: anelongated arm, an articulated connector mounting the arm on the frame ofthe back, said connector comprising a flat first member secured to theframe of the back adjacent one side of the back, a second right-anglemember, a means pivotally mounting one portion of the right-angle memberto the first member for movement about a horizontal axis extendedlaterally of the back, a third fiat member secured to the arm, a secondpivot means mounting the opposite portion of the second member to thethird member for pivotal movement about an axis generally normal to theaxis of the first pivot member, whereby said connector is operable toselectively and solely support the arm in a first position extendedforwardly from the back and in a second position behind the back.

4. The armrest of claim 3 including: a first stop on the first member tocooperate with a shoulder on the right-angle member to hold theright-angle member in a first position; and a second stop on the thirdmember cooperating with a second shoulder on the right-angle member tohold the third member in a position whereby the arm is firmly held inthe first position extended forwardly from the back.

5. The armrest of claim 4 wherein the right-angle member has a firstquadrant recess for accommodating the first stop and a second quadrantrecess for accommodating the second stop.

6. The armrest of claim 5 wherein the right-angle member has anoutwardly directed groove at one side of the first quadrant recess andan outwardly directed groove at one side of the second quadrant recess.

7. The armrest of claim 41 including biasing means for bolding theright-angle member in engagement with the first member and secondmember.

8. The armrest of claim 1 including: a first stop on the first member tocooperate with a shoulder on the second member to hold the second memberin a first position, and a second stop on the third member cooperatingwith a second shoulder on the second member to hold the third member ina position whereby the arm is held in the first position extendedforwardly from the back.

9. The armrest of claim 8 wherein the second member has a first quadrantrecess for accommodating the first stop and a second quadrant recess foraccommodatinfg the second stotfr.

10. The armrest of claim 1 including a irst stop on the trst member tocooperate with a portion of the second member to locate the secondmember in a first position, and coacting stop means between the thirdmember and the second member to locate the third member in a positionwhereby the arm is held in a first position extended forwardly from theback,

